Insights

View our latest blog posts, webinars and news stories below

The Opioid Epidemic and State Responses

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the CDC, in 2015 over 33,000 people died from opioid overdose in the United States, and in 2013 prescription opioid abuse cost the U.S. economy approximately $78.5 billion in costs related to health care, crime, and loss of productivity. Opioid abuse and the related overdose deaths are harming individuals, families, the … Read more

Using Alternative Payment Models to Address Health Care Disparities

In the U.S., a person’s health status is impacted by a variety of factors such as race/ethnicity, disability status, socioeconomic status, age, gender, sexual orientation, geography, and more. These differences in society are linked to inequalities in health status that are referred to as health care disparities. The CDC defines health disparities as “preventable differences in the … Read more

Leavitt Partners Releases “Price, Consumer Choice, and Health Care Marketplaces” White Paper

Salt Lake City, August 8, 2017 – Today, Leavitt Partners released “Price, Consumer Choice, and Health Care Marketplaces,” a new white paper addressing the need for more clarity about what dynamics are driving consumer choice in the health insurance marketplaces. Using data on plan premiums, brand, network size, and the exchange-eligible population for ten total … Read more

The Medicare-Medicaid ACO Model: Addressing Dual Eligibles’ Costs

Dual eligibles, individuals enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, are among the highest-need, highest cost patients in the United States. Although it is difficult to determine the exact number of dual eligibles, a 2012 Kaiser Family Foundation report estimates that dual eligibles comprise 21 percent of the Medicare population and 15 percent of the Medicaid population. However, … Read more

Leavitt Partners Releases “Optimizing the Value of Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) In Value-Based Care” White Paper

Salt Lake City, June 27, 2017 – Today, Leavitt Partners released a new white paper, entitled “Optimizing the Value of Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) In Value-Based Care: Insights for Hospitals & Health Systems.” The white paper addresses how hospitals and health systems are increasingly relying on post-acute providers to provide high value, low cost care, … Read more

Leavitt Partners to Present Research at 2017 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting

Salt Lake City, June 23, 2017 — Leavitt Partners is pleased to announce that the firm will present 10 research posters and provide three presentations, supported by eleven researchers, at the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting (ARM) in New Orleans, LA June 25-27, 2017. The ARM is the premier forum for health services research, with a … Read more

Dual Eligibles: Lessons Learned & Future Implications

Introduction Dual-eligible enrollees account for a disproportionately sizeable proportion of spending in both Medicare and Medicaid programs. However, until recently, these nearly 11.5 million[i] enrollees have not been in the spotlight in discussions regarding the move toward value-based payments. One of the biggest challenges in moving dual eligibles to value-based payments is solving the logistical and … Read more

Micro-Hospitals: A Unique Opportunity to Deliver Care to Underserved Areas Amidst the Transition to Value

Micro-Hospitals Defined While the health care industry continues to shift from volume to value, costs of inpatient care continue to rise, averaging $2,346 per inpatient per day. Consequently, payers and providers are seeking new ways to reduce hospital length of stay (LOS) and deliver care at less costly locations. One such mechanism is the emerging trend … Read more

The Future of Medicare Telehealth Coverage: CBO Hesitates, Congress Inches Forward

As telehealth gains traction as a way to deliver health care, Medicare reimbursement remains a major obstacle to broad implementation due in part to scoring methodology from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Rather than decreasing health care costs, CBO’s scoring methodology assumes that telehealth increases utilization and therefore overall costs. Recent legislation on the Hill, … Read more

CJR: Playing the Waiting Game

On April 1, 2016, the Comprehensive Care for Joint Replacement (CJR) model program took effect, affecting roughly 800 hospitals across 67 markets.  Prior to the program becoming active, Leavitt Partners published a blog post stating, “Time will tell whether hospitals and providers will succeed with quality improvements and savings generation under this new program.” One year into … Read more